Guest commentary

In Olympia these days, lawmakers are high-centered in a second special session over the budget to operate the state for the next two years. The stalemate has come down to the choice of raising taxes or funding government with current revenues.

After the alarming revelations of the NSA’s bulk-collection of phone call data, the Freedom Act reforms strike a much-needed balance between the need for intelligence agencies to operate effectively and the need to safeguard privacy rights of Americans.

While the government can make it easier for our food bank system to flourish, the real success is due to the hard work of the individuals who donate and volunteer. We all have the ability to donate our time and resources and be part of neighbors helping neighbors.

The big ships are coming. The question is, will they dock in Seattle or Tacoma or head north to Canada or pass us by sailing through the Panama Canal to U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic seaboard?

Politicians must be mindful of the impact high taxes and other business costs have on the majority of our state. Second, elected officials need to be vigilant — competitors are looking for ways to rob our state of its businesses and jobs.

The old model of health care as simply a business of revenue versus expense is inherently flawed, where “revenue” is a sick patient. It certainly cannot be fixed solely by cutting the portion of “expenses” that is the team who cares for the patient. Unless both patients and providers stand up for the community, that is exactly what will continue to happen.

Rather than applaud association health plans for providing coverage, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is moving against them, stripping people of their coverage. In these uncertain times when the Affordable Care Act is struggling and key parts of it are being challenged in court, that just doesn’t make sense.

Stopping rail shipments of crude oil and hazardous cargo is not a viable option. It is better to strengthen railroad beds, replace aging track and bridges, enact better safety standards, increase inspections, continue to train emergency responders and invest in new technology and modern equipment.